Championship release schedule but with a Cup caveat

The Championship Rugby fixtures for the 2024/25 season were unveiled today but with no clarity about the make-up of the Cup competition,

A press release simply stated when Cup fixtures will fall in the calendar without confirming which teams would be involved.

The 12 Championship clubs, which include last year’s National 1 champions Chinnor, will be desperate for a repeat of last season’s Premiership Cup,

The Premiership Cup brought much-needed revenue and exposure to second-tier clubs and also the profile of its players as some ties were televised by TNT Sports.

However, RugbyPass understands that it is only a matter of time before their involvement in the Premiership Cup is signed off, with the matter no doubt up for discussion at this afternoon’s Championship Clubs’ Committee meeting.

The as-yet-unnamed Cup competition will begin in November with the first games taking place over the weekend of November 1-3, with further rounds in February, before the quarter-finals (February 28-March 2), semi-finals (March 7-9) and the final over the weekend of March 14-16.

Chinnor’s promotion restores the Championship to a 12-team league after the demise of Jersey Reds, champions in 2022/23, left them a club short.

The Nick Easter-coached Oxfordshire outfit will begin life in the Championship away to Cambridge, the team they succeeded as National 1 champions in 2023/24.

Chinnor’s debut match at Level 2 is on Saturday September 21st and will be followed by another trip east, to Ampthill, the following weekend.

Caldy are scheduled to be the first team to visit the club’s small Kingsey Road base in Thame at the start of October, although it is hoped a stand will be in place by then to boost the ground’s 2,500 capacity.

The new season kicks off with a couple of Friday night games, on September 20th, as London Scottish welcome ambitious Coventry to the Athletic Ground and Nottingham play host to last season’s runners-up Cornish Pirates.

2023/24 champions Ealing Trailfinders, who were denied promotion to the Premiership last season under the present ground criteria rules, begin their bid to secure back-to-back titles with a home game against Hartpury University, while the favourites to push them closest this year, big-spending Doncaster Knights, also kick off their season on the opening Saturday, at home to Ampthill.

Bedford Blues are up against Caldy at Goldington Road on the same day.

To see the full 2024/25 Championship fixture list, click here>>

As yet, no title sponsor for the league has been announced. The league will be played over 22 rounds, with the final round scheduled for the weekend of May 30-June 1 next year.

A two-leg play-off for promotion to the Gallagher Premiership will then take place on the weekends of June 6-8 and June 13-15 between the top placed team in the Championship (provided it meets the minimum standards criteria) and the last placed team in the Gallagher Premiership.

RFU Director of Performance Rugby, Conor O’Shea said: “We’re pleased to be able confirm the fixtures for what promises to be season full of excitement, drama and close encounters.

“The past few seasons have seen close finishes at the top of the table and 2023-24 was no different with only a handful of points between the top two teams. We will no doubt see further demonstration of the competitiveness of the league in the upcoming season.

“We’re really pleased to welcome Chinnor to the Championship, who will be a great addition to the league following some brilliant performances in National 1.   We wish them and the other clubs success for the year ahead.

“Throughout this season we will continue work that’s taken place over the past 18 months with the clubs to develop and enhance rugby’s second tier.  It’s an exciting time for the league and we look forward keeping its fans updated as these plans develop.”

Championship Committee Chairman, Simon Halliday, is hopeful that the new season will further underline the competition’s value to the English club game.

He said: “The value of the Championship was clear for all to see last season. The quality of rugby played was exceptional, crowds were up, and they were hugely entertained by fast, open and positive play which was particularly evident in the Premiership Cup. The role of our league as a conveyor belt of talent for English rugby will continue to feature strongly as we build and invest in our competition through the development of a new league in 25/26.

“The idea of promotion and relegation is now a long-term reality after recent Council decisions and for the first time in some years there is the genuine chance for our clubs to challenge for the top table in English rugby. This brings equivalent excitement and jeopardy to the Premiership which we all desire and which is the lifeblood of any competition.

“I wish all 12 clubs the very best of luck for the coming season and I would particularly like to welcome Chinnor, who triumphed in a very competitive National One. I am certain they will bring fresh energy and talent to the Championship.

“In this transformational season, we all look forward to fierce clashes, close matches and excitement in every game, the length and breadth of England.”